Correlictum
by Ludum Sanguinis
Summary: You can't regret hard choices for the rest of your life, right?
1. Prologue

CORRELICTUM

Prologue

It was dark, it was cold, and it was wet.

The constant plunking of water pelting the moldy tile-work from the gaping maw that once was the entrance to this godforsaken place was all that was left to keep company to the youth. A deserved fate, if one were to recite his morbid thoughts.

Asriel sighed. How long had it been by now? Weeks? Months? It may have even been years… Time had a way of slipping by without his knowing nowadays. He was unused to the consistent pace it now employed. Once, it was all but too easy to pull back the past. But now? Now, there was nothing to grip. No desperation, no knowledge, and oddly enough…

No regrets.

Yes, despite the damnable actions he once sought to and the twisted morality behind them, he was contented with the result. In the end, as he had told Frisk, he would not live in doubt. The underground was free from their imprisonment, and he was free from the spirit that haunted him. Asking for more would be delusional.

But while the regrets were gone, the worries would stay. Asriel feared many things now, most of them fairly petty and common, remnants of his childhood. The spiders were an example of this. He would always notice them scuttling across the walls, praying that they would keep their distance. Despite their helpful nature, they unnerved him.

There was an awful scraping sound that resonated throughout the ruins on the odd night. Asriel was unsure as to what it was exactly, but he cared not to find out.

Ghosts terrified him too, as they had before his death. Their supernatural presence laid an air of intimidation that felt misplaced to the young monster. He was often told that that was a fear shared among many. Although that did little to console him.

His timid personality returning was a welcome comfort in a sense, yet it served as a persistent reminder of his greatest fear.

Above all else, Asriel feared himself. He feared what his current state meant, and the recurring dreams that, well, didn't plague him per se—but they certainly didn't leave him alone. They were unusual dreams, consisting of his family and friends, sitting quietly together in a strange otherworldly light. In spite of their odd nature, they were pleasant, and he liked them. That was the scariest part. He secretly hoped and prayed for their fulfillment. And he knew that he couldn't allow that to happen.

His only solace was that one day soon, he would stop feeling.

"I can't take much more of this…"

It was scary to not know when his reversion would come, despite knowing that it was inevitable. His first estimation was one of hours, just a short few hours so that he might make amends. But of course, Frisk found him within minutes. They insisted that Asriel join them in leaving the underground, but he simply could not follow. The hearts of those who he would otherwise break with his flowery form would remain intact, if a little heavy.

Yet he still resided within his true form.

At first realization, days after his prediction was proven wildly incorrect, he became hopeful. That detestable form was his bane, and it bent him in ways that tore him apart alongside those around him. Still, he did not believe that reprise could last for long.

There was evidence to that doubt. He was covered in what looked like plant-life; vine-like tendrils grew around his entire body and small fronds were poking through his fur. The first traces of this appeared a few days after Frisk had left. He had tried removing the substance with a plastic knife he found lying in the ruins, but was only met with a wracking pain. It was as though he had cut himself... That had to be a part of the reversion, didn't it? It was fusing with him... and it would eventually take over.

Asriel stood up. It was getting too dark to see in this room.

It probably didn't matter in the end. The result—delayed or otherwise, would be the same: Peace for the people and solitude for him. Solitude in these empty ruins, with nothing but the raindrops and their echos to keep company. Whether in the body of his own or the body of that flower, he wouldn't affect the peaceful world that was finally set in place. That is what he had prepared himself for.

He was not prepared.

* * *

A small draft flowed through the kitchen from an open window. It carried with it a subtle smell of burning firewood and freshly tilled soil. It was by all accounts a beautiful day. Sadly, it would go unnoticed by the owner of the kitchen, who was slowly pacing back and forth in front of the counter.

Toriel was truly beginning to worry. Frisk had been locked in their room for hours now. It was well past noon and the day was wasting away. That couldn't be good for one's health, she reckoned. The breakfast she prepared that morning was already cold and had begun to harden.

 _Such a waste of food..._

But this worrisome behavior that Frisk displayed is something that all children go through, right? Of course, they weren't exactly a child anymore, it had been a few years since the escape from the underground. Toriel had guessed Frisk was a teenager by now, compared with her other students. It may very well be the start of the infamous teenage rebellion she had read about.

Maybe she should let things take their course. Leave them some space to come to terms with growing up.

But that didn't feel right. It had been like this for months now, every weekend Frisk locked themselves in the bedroom and wouldn't come out without a practical reason. Food, bathroom, or school. Something was bothering them. She didn't understand what exactly, so she had left it alone for a time. But now it had gone on long enough.

It was time to intervene.

... Somehow.

But first, she needed to prepare lunch.

"Perhaps I should ask Sans for advice..."

* * *

Frisk was lying on the bed, arms crossed behind their head. The room was a stuffy golden color from sunlight hitting the thin drapes. Frisk hadn't cleaned it in months. There was hardly any push to do so. But that only made the dreich room all the more-so, and the result was perpetuating.

It felt empty in spite of the clutter.

The youth let their mind wander to odd places on days like these—or rather—especially on days like these. School days being the only upset in that train of thought. School was tedious, very little of it interested Frisk in a meaningful way. The only reason they continued was because of Toriel. She seemed happy to be teaching for once. It would be bad to take that from her.

Besides, there wasn't much else to do. Other than reflect, that is.

Frisk's thoughts always managed to lead back to the underground. That may not be all that surprising considering the spectacular adventure had there. The subject of what happened to the monsters after they had escaped became one of the most common daydreams for Frisk.

Some monster's circumstances Frisk already knew about and therefore didn't leave much to the imagination. Sans, for instance, kept up with Toriel by telephone often, sharing the occasional risible pun. Although he hadn't been seen in person for a long while. His brother Papyrus still lived with him and found employment at a tailor's shop, which was a very busy place apparently. Frisk rarely got calls from him anymore due to that.

There was Mettaton, who was a daily sight on the television. He had gained a huge human following not too long after the public announcement of monsters. Frisk had worried in the early days after the escape that the human TV networks would be too alien and unforgiving for the robot. Then again, Mettaton might have been playing the humans more than they could ever play him.

Dr. Alphys and Undyne had a strong public eye on them too, with the former making some important scientific advancements in science... of some description. And the latter gained a name for herself in a form of martial arts. Frisk couldn't remember what it was called, and occasionally frustrated the warrior with an incorrect pronunciation or an incorrect term. She had said a while back that she had won some tournaments, so it must mean she was doing well. Good for her.

But what about the monsters that Frisk didn't see since the escape? There were a lot of them. Napstablook, Temmie, Asriel, Aaron, all of the Dog family? Heats Flamesman?

Asriel?

What about Asriel? Frisk knew for certain he didn't escape with the others, probably still tending to the flowers. Or maybe he was making friends with them.

That idolum brought about a small chuckle. _I'd pay to see that._

Frisk had regrets regarding Asriel. Beyond just being unable to truly save him, it was painful to know that even if they were to go back to the ruins, Asriel had managed to delude himself with pessimistic nonsense. He believed he shouldn't see his friends or family because—well Frisk assumed that he thought Flowey may do something terrible to his family.

But still, Asriel was delusional. If he had only come with, Frisk was sure that he could make friends with everyone as Flowey, or at least say farewell to Toriel and Asgore before reverting. Or maybe he could apologize for all the terrible things he had done and said... and that he may possibly say in the future...

Frisk understood how Asriel couldn't bring himself to face everyone with all of that on his shoulders. And the risk of losing himself in the reversion sounded plausible enough. Likely even.

But the damn frustration was still there. And it had been there since the day Frisk left the ruins.

 _I at least wanna talk with you again... Maybe about something fun instead of a goodbye?_

Frisk sighed. Dark thoughts like these always start popping up as the boredom seeped in. They needed to get out and do something, maybe get a hobby...

I wonder if he has a hobby...

* * *

"Sans! Are we really going to visit the human? After all this time?" Papyrus nearly skipped along the broken sidewalk. "I wonder if they missed me?"

"Knowing them? Definitely." Sans was keeping a steady pace beside his brother. It had been awhile since they met face to face with Frisk and Toriel, almost half a year. He had to wonder what the human's life was like so long after escaping the underground. Toriel sounded worried when she called earlier. It seemed that Frisk wouldn't leave their room. Maybe it was seasonal depression; Sans had heard around that that was fairly common among humans...

"HAH, of course they missed me! Who wouldn't? Just imagine, dear brother, six months without _my_ company? Bah, it must have been torture! We must make haste, our friend's sanity is in danger!" Papyrus bolted off ahead, leaving Sans to his saunter.

Maybe Frisk was just bored.

...

Hopefully not.


	2. C Stands for Console, It Also Stands

CORRELICTUM

C Stands for Console, It Also Stands for Contractor

The horrid scraping sounds were back in full force. Asriel had quickly buried himself back into the shadows in a quiet corner of the ruins, as he always did when they appeared. He wasn't sure what the noises came from, but they seemed to reverberate through every area within the structure. No area was free from their raspy echos.

He had first noticed the noises back when he first met these caverns. He had a theory, for a while—that they were the leftover mechanisms from the puzzles installed here by his ancestors, but that was proven wrong. He had dug around for a while as a flower and found there were no open areas other than the rooms and hallways anyone else could find. It was solid stone, carved into and left as is. The only exceptions were the carved insets for rudimentary puzzles that only required small alterations such as buttons, levers, and false flooring. Nothing this large, and certainly nothing that could encompass the entire structure with that damnable noise.

Asriel was shaking, trying to get his mind off of the sound. This situation wasn't new to him, and he had developed ways of distracting himself from it. He had drawn on the walls with chalk, told himself fanciful stories, and sang. No one else was around to grow bothered by such things after all, and they did help clear his mind.

But the walls were filled with drawings, they had been for a while. And he had run dry of stories he wanted to hear long ago. So he leaned his back against the tarnished masonry, closed his eyes, and began to sing.

It was an old song. A solemn one that he had learned from his father, back in the days he had that comfort. From what he could make out, it was a song about war.

 _See the men marching._

 _See the men bow._

 _The guidance above_

 _Lay under the crown._

 _The horns, they sing outward_

 _To the glory of Home,_

 _And the people who hear them_

 _Will know where to roam._

 _And I sing my Song_

 _To the one who knows._

 _The flower left on_

 _The aged window._

 _I fear not my own_

 _But the one who I share_

 _Is the one who carries_

 _Our future to bear._

 _I must not allow._

 _I cannot afford._

 _For the one who I share_

 _To leave the ward._

 _There are those who they must protect from the horde._

 _But I myself cannot aid anymore._

 _The buildings have burned,_

 _But the enemy's away._

 _The victory achieved_

 _God praise the day._

 _But I've already sunk_

 _To the bottom around._

 _The one who I share_

 _Cannot be found._

Asriel liked that song, he felt that he understood it well. The struggle of the soldier, who wasn't given much of a choice in life, but still did his duty despite the sacrifice involved. He could relate to it.

And apparently, so could the tear-stained eyes that appeared in front of him at some point during his croon.

"That's a pretty song... Y-you have a nice singing voice..."

A ghost.

"Gahgh!" Asriel squealed.

"Aaahhh!" The ghost replied.

"AAHHHHHHHH!"

"Uhh..."

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"I'm sorry i didn—"

"GAH!, you scared me!" Asriel said.

A moment of silence passed.

"I'm sorry... I-I didn't mean to startle you... Oh no... I just heard someone singing and I thought i-it sounded nice a-and I—"

"..." Asriel was frozen in place.

"I'm sorry..." The ghost bowed guiltily.

Asriel had difficulty bringing himself to reply. "I-it's okay, y-you don't need to apologize. I just didn't think anyone ever came here anymore... o-or could hear me. I was surprised, t-that's all." If he was being honest, he was far more embarrassed than surprised, he did not enjoy singing in front of others. It was... uncomfortable.

"Ah..."

The noises had subsided.

"...Who are you?" Asriel asked. "I-I mean, what's your name? My name's Asriel..."

"My name's Napstablook. But... uh, that's a strange name isn't it? You can call me anything you'd like if that would be easier...?" Napstablook seemed more and more unsure of himself as he continued talking. "It's n-n-nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too." Asriel managed a smile. This ghost was shyer than he was. "I-if it's okay to ask, why are you here? I-in the ruins, I mean."

"Ah, I normally come here so I can be alone and wallow in self pity..." he responded, almost cheerily for what Asriel had seen of him so far.

 _That's… odd. But i guess I can't say anything..._ He looked to the walls.

More silence.

Napstablook followed Asriel's gaze, then looked back expectantly.

"O-oh! I'm here to take care of the flowers," Asriel barked out. "They, uh, need tending to... sometimes."

"I see, that's... nice."

...

Napstablook waited for what must've been minutes before looking towards the walls asking, "Did you draw these?"

"Uhh..."

"They look like a friend of mine..." Napstablook hesitated for a second. "D-do you know someone named Frisk?"

 _Uh oh._

* * *

Sans and Papyrus were walking to Toriel's house. They had been for a while now. The sun was beginning to fall behind them. It must have been about five o' clock. The sidewalk traffic had been picking up since they began their trek, and only now was it showing signs of slowing down.

Sans enjoyed the reactions of passers by, It always was good for a laugh. Their bored eyes, blank and dull would suddenly light with the realization that there was a walking talking skeleton right beside them. And he would play it off, asking a friendly question or tossing a casual comment. Some people would jump in surprise, only to laugh it off, and some would hardly react at all, but the others were great. His favorites were those odd ones that seemed elated to meet the brothers, or those who referenced something from human culture he had yet to find out. A lot of human music referenced skeletons, apparently.

Some people were scared of the brothers. That wasn't the most pleasant revelation, but it was understandable. Skeletons, as Papyrus had discovered not long after the escape, held a rather gruesome and prominent place in human culture. They were icons of death and violence, not the respected peacekeepers he had first assumed they were.

Of course, Papyrus had many assumptions about the human world that were swiftly crushed after the escape. It was almost heartbreaking to see him lament poetically over his "tragic ignorance".

Almost.

"Brother! How long until we get there? If we take any longer, we will need to leave as soon as we arrive!"

"No worries bro, there's only a few blocks left."

"You said that ten minutes ago!"

"Chill, Papy. It's important to take things slow once in a while..."

"Don't call me that! And what do you mean 'once in a while'? You're always taking it slow! Besides, of all the times to take it slow now is most certainly not one of them! Our friend is waiting for us! If anything—" Papyrus continued his rant, not noticing his brother's complacent expression.

It certainly was a peaceful day.

"Hey!" a familiar voice called out from behind the brothers.

What was that?

"Hey Papyrus!" Sans looked back. "Papyrus! Wait up!"

"Ah, it's Undyne." Sans elbowed his brother to get his attention.

"Do not interrupt my admonishing monologues, brother. You know how—Gah!"

Undyne collided head-on with with the unsuspecting skeleton, sending them both tumbling along the sidewalk.

"Oops. I guess I don't know my own speed! Haha!" She flashed a big smile. "Uh, you okay?

Papyrus scrambled to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster. "Undyne! You must pay closer attention to the road!" He sighed. "And I was just criticizing by brother for his poor sense of judgement... Am I the only responsible one?"

Undyne gave an questioning look to Sans.

Sans ignored it. "He said I was slow."

"Wow, Papyrus, that's harsh..."

"That is not what I s—"

"Well, whatever. Why are you guys here? I thought you lived on the other side of town... I saw you passing by the dojo, you two sure stick out in a crowd!" she laughed.

"Ah, we are on a journey! Our dear mutual fr—"

"We're visiting Frisk." Sans replied as he began walking.

"Hey!"

"Oh, cool. Can I come with?"

"Don't ignore me!"

"Sure. The more the merrier."

"...I hate the both of you."

Undyne chuckled. Sans smiled. It should be an exciting day.

* * *

This day could not get any less exciting. Frisk had gotten up from bed about two hours ago and the urge to hop back in was already weaving its way through their conscience. Their choice of activity didn't help, of course. Sorting through the CD cabinet was a boring task that could knock out anyone, they figured.

 _Maybe sort it by genre? Might make it easier to find. Not that it'll stay that way... Ugh, there I go again._

Frisk had just gotten rid of that depressing train of thought, they were not going to let it creep its way back in.

 _Maybe I should just talk to Toriel about it, I don't have to be too specific... But she—more than anyone can't know about Asriel. Or maybe it should be the other way around... Grrh, this is frustrating! Is there anyone else I can talk to?_

Thud.

 _...The hell was that?_

Thud. Thud. Louder.

 _The door?_

A muffled voice could be heard from the other side. "No you're doing it wrong. You gotta put more gusto into it. Like... THIS!" THUD. There was a creaking noise as the hinges were forcibly ripped from the doorframe. The door itself was pushed a good distance before toppling backwards and landing with yet another audible thud, leaving the perpetrator in plain sight, her leg raised.

"That was too much gusto, Undyne." Papyrus stated plainly.

Frisk smiled for the first time that day. Huh, maybe...


	3. Hardware

CORRELICTUM

Hardware

After only a few minutes, the once-dreary bedroom was full of life and light. Papyrus had opened the curtains immediately upon inviting himself in, Sans had brought in and set up a few folding chairs with cups and a kettle of tea that Toriel had prepared, and Undyne took a safe distance from anything prone to breaking—namely everything.

"All I'm saying is the door wasn't locked in the first place, Toriel was just using a turn of phrase. What you did was unnecessary!"

"Easy Papyrus, I already said sorry." Undyne flashed a smile at Frisk, who was sitting on the bed. "Besides, there's no hard feelings over a little bit of property damage. Right?"

"Of course not, Undyne." Frisk stopped to take a sip of tea before continuing." It's not like I'm the one who's paying for it..."

"Hah!" Undyne turned to the skeleton. "See, Pap—" She stopped halfway, realizing the implication. "Oh."

The youth donned a toothy, self-satisfied smirk.

A chuckle escaped from behind Sans's cup, and was quickly silenced by a short glare from the heroine.

"Anyways, we are getting off topic!"

"We didn't have a topic yet." Sans interjected.

"We're here to cheer up Frisk! And there's only one way to do that!"

"By destroying their property?" Papyrus asked.

"We need to find them a hobby!"

Frisk took another sip.

"That's a brilliant idea, Undyne! I have just the ticket!"

"I think we're thinking the same thing!" Undyne singsonged knowingly.

"Didn't you already try to teach Frisk cooking?"

"No friend of mine will be a quitter, Sans."

"That is correct, we cannot let them give up hope! They will learn to be a spectacular cook!" Papyrus scratched his head."... Eventually."

Frisk grimaced. "It might be fun to make stuff, but how 'bout something other than food?"

"Like what?"

Frisk shrugged. _Just something that won't burn the house down...?_

...

"Undyne and I will gather the ingredients!"

"Wait, why do I have to come w—" She couldn't even finish her sentence before Papyrus dragged her out of the room, cackling like a madman.

Sans gave Frisk a wide grin. Frisk glared back, but couldn't keep a small smile from forming.

* * *

Small drafts blew leaves by and the brittle crackles they sounded out echoed throughout the corridors. The cold was settling into the ruins, and brought a shiver to the few inhabitants residing there. Grinding pebbles and leaves into the dusty ground with every step, Asriel walked beside his new company who—despite their quiet demeanor—seemed very accusatory to the monster.

...

"...A-are you sure they aren't—"

"I am a hundred percent sure!"

...

"...They look very sim—"

"They don't!"

...

"...You seem very defens—"

"I don't!"

Another tense silence broke out. It might have lasted minutes. Then again, it was hard to measure something like time in this place. Both Napstablook and Asriel had decided to wander the ruins together, looking for the source of the noises. It seemed that the ghost may have had his own distaste for them, too.

But Asriel was getting fairly annoyed by his questions.

...

"M-maybe I can introduce them to you."

"I—" Asriel was about to retort to nothing. "Huh?"

"Frisk, I mean. The friend I was talking about... I-I think you two would get along."

...

"I-I mean when we go back up, I can—"

"I can't leave." Asriel slowed his pace.

"...?"

"I'm sorry. I just... can't." He was beginning to shiver.

Napstablook stopped pressing the matter after that. Although, he didn't stop finding the occasional drawing in an odd place.

* * *

The house was filled with a pleasant aroma similar to that of a cake shop, and the occasional muffled clatter of utensils coming from the kitchen. Toriel must have been baking again.

Frisk was lying on the bed and Sans was sitting backwards in one of the chairs he brought up. It was quiet once again, all that could be heard were the ticks of a clock.

"What do you think, Sans?"

"About what?"

"Hobbies. I don't wanna cook, but maybe they're onto something." Frisk set a thoughtful gaze to the skeleton. "Any ideas?"

Sans stared at the ceiling and scratched his jaw. "I dunno, kid. I can't think for ya..." He began looking around the room, taking note of the cluttered desk-space stacked with many empty CD cases, a binder, and a notepad. He looked to the bookshelf which—to his amusement—was chock-full of even more CD's. An occasional book could be found among them, its binding pristine and unbent. Frisk wasn't much of a reader apparently.

Judging by that, the human likely already considered music. But there was always a chance...

"What about music?"

"Hm?" Frisk waited patiently for elaboration.

"Yea. Like learning an instrument. Might be fun."

"Hey, yea! I didn't think of that!" The human jumped off the bed and walked over to the collection.

Sans went quiet again. Frisk had always managed to throw him off. Sometimes they seemed like the smartest person he knew—almost clairvoyant, and others they could be dumb as a sack of bones. They might've been messing with him, he couldn't tell.

"But what instrument should I try?" Frisk pondered aloud, sorting through the various CD cases in hopes of narrowing down the options. Of course, almost all of them had a guitar on the cover, or at least part of one. That might be a little too narrow.

"Just try all of them" Sans waved his hand dismissively.

"...Sure. I'll get on that."

Thud.

 _Uh oh._

Thud. Thud. THUD.

"We aren't gonna lose another door, are we?"

"Haha." Sans stood up from his chair and beckoned Frisk. "We should go greet them."

* * *

As soon as they entered the hallway, the smell of freshly baked pastries and the sound of an electric mixer assaulted their senses. Toriel hadn't put a stop to her hasty accumulation of confectioneries since that morning. The countertops-turned-cooling racks were completely full. Sans gave a questioning look to Frisk, who met it with a guilty smile.

The loud slam of the front door and the shattering of glass was heard from the hallway Sans and Frisk were currently walking.

"We have returned! Nyeheheh!"

Indeed they had. Although Undyne was much bluer in the face than Frisk remembered. She was breathing heavy too.

"Well, that was fast. Where'd you two go, anyways?" Sans and Frisk had just entered the living room, the skeleton taking a seat on the small couch facing the front door and the youth standing next to the kitchen entryway.

"The other side of town!" Undyne shouted, glaring at Papyrus. "The store is right next to the dojo, you know!"

"Well, Undyne. I would expect—of all people—you to appreciate a good workout." The skeleton reasoned proudly.

"You're lucky that I am..."she paused to take a breath. "I would strangle you otherwise!" Despite saying that, she still looked like she fully intended to strangle the skeleton.

"Well regardless, halfway through the trip I realized something!

"What's that?" Sans asked.

"We didn't have any money! We couldn't have bought ingredients anyways!"

Now Undyne was red in the face.

It was at that moment Toriel entered the living room, covered in flour and batter. It was clear to everyone present that she hadn't left the kitchen at all today. She almost questioned the noises she had thought she heard before noticing the young human beside the entryway. "Frisk, you're up! How are you feeling? Are you hungry? Dinner won't be for another two hours, but I could make a small snack. Maybe—"

"I'm fine." Frisk cut her off, then gave a reassuring smile. "Thanks."

A small awkward moment passed before she broke away and turned to Sans.

"Sans, could you do me a favor?" Toriel asked, pulling out a handbag. "I am missing some ingredients for tonight's dinner, would you be so kind as to pick them up for me?" She pulled out a small stack of cash and a grocery list and handed it to the skeleton. "You can use this to pay for them."

"Sure, Tori." Sans pocketed the items, but he had a thought. "Uh, would you like me to pick up anything else?" He looked to the doorway.

She followed his gaze. "I can't think of anything else I would—"

Undyne and Papyrus were frozen stiff in the doorframe—well Undyne was. Papyrus was wiggling his fingers nervously, wearing an equally nervous smile.

"On second thought, I'd like for you to take Frisk with you..." She turned to sans, smiling a sickly sweet smile. "Oh, and Sans?"

"'Sup?"

"Take your time." She said, facing back towards the two vandals who were currently trying to sneak away.

* * *

The walk to the store was much calmer than usual. Then again, Frisk never went out this late for groceries. Or anything else for that matter. That was an after-school type of thing, not something to do when it became dark. And dark it was, the streetlights had just begun turning on, an audible clicking sound following each one. Hardly any fellow pedestrians were to be seen walking the worn concrete.

But it was nice. Oddly calming to have a walk in public... without the public.

The greasy smell of fried food caught Frisk's attention as they past by a small building on the strip. The unnecessarily large neon sign above read "Downtime Bar & Grill", and muffled music could be heard coming from within. _Maybe I am hungry..._

"That's a fun place. I'll take you there sometime."

"Sans, that's a bar."

"And?"

"I'm not old enough to go in a bar."

"It's fiiiine... I know the owner. 'Sides, they let kids in if they're with an adult."

...

"So, where are we going to find an adult—"

Sans messed Frisk's hair. "Hey now."

Frisk chuckled.

"Hey, I have an idea, there's a store nearby that sells instruments." His smile grew wider. "Wanna check it out after we get Toriel's stuff?"

"I dunno. I don't have any money."

"Nobody said we'd have to buy anything."

Frisk raised an eyebrow.

"They let you try out the instruments before you buy them. You can see how much they are and you can save up for it. Super simple."

"Okay... but let's not take too long, I'm getting hungry."

* * *

Sans was glad that was done with. He had thought grocery shopping with Papyrus was tiring, but at least his brother was predictable. Frisk was trying to annoy him—he was sure—by putting all sorts of random garbage into the cart. _Who the hell needs fourteen spatulas? And weren't you in a hurry?_ The pair exited the store, plastic bags in hand.

"Are you mad?"

"Buddy, there's nothing you could do to make me mad."

"But Sans! You're baring your teeth!"

Sans stopped walking and hit the youth's shoulder. "Heh, that's a good one, kid. Mind if I steal it?"

Frisk smiled proudly. "Hehe!"

"Let's see, the music store is across the street from here... and a block down. You still up for it?"

"What time is it?"

Sans shrugged. "I'm sure they'll have a clock there."

Even without a clock, they could tell that the walk there didn't take more than five minutes. A rusty bell chimed as they opened the heavy wooden door to the shop. It was relatively quiet. Only one other customer was there filing through the bargain CD bin in the corner, occasionally giving a mellow chuckle under his breath in response to something only he could see.

Sans looked over at Frisk, who was gaping up at numerous instruments mounted on the walls and archways. It seemed that the store capitalized on every square inch of wall-space and support pillars for displaying their wares. One couldn't go ten feet without walking under a guitar or violin.

"Wow."

"It's a good thing we came here, huh?"

Frisk's eyes found their way to one of the guitars on the upper wall, only to widen substantially when they noticed the hefty price tag attached. Almost three-grand. They shot a nervous glance at the skeleton.

 _Well, of course you'll notice those first._ Sans thought. _It makes the cheap ones sell better._ He nudged Frisk with his elbow. "Hey. Go wait over by that wall, I'll get someone to show us what's what."

They nodded, seeming to Sans a little intimidated by the sheer amount of information to take in from this place.

* * *

Sans knew a lot of people. That wasn't much of a surprise to Frisk anymore, but it seemed convenient now that the owner, a lanky twenty-something named Chuck was giving them a full rundown on all the instruments in the store. He was a strange person to be sure, seemed to have an affinity for naming people after whatever mundane trait stuck out to him.

"Okay, little striped shirt dude, before you commit to one instrument, I gotta know. What..." He paused for what Frisk assumed was dramatic effect. "...is your fave genre?

"Um, I don't think I have one."

Chuck bobbed his head. "Rock on, rock on..." He scratched the back of his neck in thought. "Okay. So. You, my little friend, probably want something that can play all sorts genres without difficulty. I'd say a guitar or a keyboard... they're used in almost any genre you can think of."

"What about bluegrass? Sans challenged jokingly.

"Woah woah woah! Chuckles. My man. My bro... bluegrass?" Chuck draping an arm over Sans's shoulder before giving a smug smile. "You'd be surprised."

...

"Here, I'll show you some." Chuck walked Frisk and Sans over to a wire shelf with many colorful boxes stacked neatly upon it. "Let's see... this one should do the trick." He pulled one out and opened it, revealing a rather small keyboard, and placed it on a nearby stand.

Frisk watched closely as Chuck hooked up the instrument to a power cable.

"This one's rechargeable, good for travelers and people with small playing spaces." He moved to make space for Frisk after pressing a few keys to test it. "Try it out. I'll go grab a guitar—."

The ringing of a phone sounded throughout the store.

"Bummer... Okay, hold on for like five minutes, I gotta take this." He said, walking to the front counter. "I'll bring one of the guitars over after."

Sans and Frisk were left to the corner of the room, the latter giving the former a look of trepidation.

"Go ahead. Try it. It's not gonna break or anything."

Frisk reached out tentatively for one of the many keys adorning the instrument. A shallow note rang out. They pressed another one, and another one after that. A small smile was forming.

Sans watched on approvingly as Frisk became more familiar with the sounds, trying new combinations of keys and playing them out at different lengths. It was enjoyable, even if it didn't sound very good. Although, the black keys were a mystery. None of them sounded good to the human. Maybe they were for better players.

The notes slowed down, but continued. Frisk tried to remember how to play the song from the music box, but to no avail. It had been too long since they even saw the underground. And in thinking of the underground...

"Hey, Sans?" Frisk asked quietly.

"Hmm? 'Sup?

"I've been thinking..."

"That's unlike you."

Frisk decided to ignore San's joke. "Do you think I'm idealistic?"

"I guess...?" Sans took a second to think, and smiled. "Look, Frisk, I don't know what you're trying to figure out. But whatever it is, you should just follow your gut. That's worked for you so far, hasn't it?"

Frisk couldn't smile back. "What if I told you that there was someone still trapped underground?"

Sans went quiet.

"And what If I told you—"

"That it was your fault?"

Frisk nodded somberly. "I left them behind."

"I'd say you make up some pretty shitty lies, kid."

The notes halted.

Sans sighed. "What's with that look? I'm sure that you saved whoever we're talking about with everyone else. If they stayed down there, it's their decision."

Frisk wanted to argue, but there was nothing to be said—at least without revealing too much. Sans didn't seem too keen on any conversation about the underground. He had avoided many questions in the past, it wasn't too strange that he did it there anyone else to ask? Perhaps Dr. Alphys could give some insight, but maybe too much. Of all people, she would be the first to catch on. And Undyne and Papyrus probably wouldn't be able to keep quiet about it.

Maybe Frisk would have to deal with this on their own.

...

Mt. Ebbot wasn't too far away from the house.

* * *

After playing the guitar Chuck tossed them for a good fifteen minutes, Sans and Frisk bid farewell to the homely little shop and began the slow walk home. But not before the owner gave a hearty goodbye to the skeleton and an inviting "Rock on, little striped-shirt dude" to the youth.

"How are your fingers?" Sans asked.

"Still hurts..."

"Well, you seemed to be having fun... Did you make a decision?"

"Not yet."

"..."

The rest of the walk was quiet.


	4. Leavings and Gatherings

CORRELICTUM

Leavings and Gatherings

Asriel dreamily remembered the few times of his life that he had seen the rain. The calming ambience that it gathered managed to put him in a state of awe and wonder almost every time he heard it. He felt lucky to have experienced it as many times as he did. The inhabitants of the underground once considered the sight an unfathomably rare luxury. There were some places such as Waterfall, where the running water above trickled its way down through small cracks in the ground, simulating a false downpour. But that just could not compare to the real thing. Few seemingly mystical places had allowed it to fully manifest.

The ruins he now called home was one of these places. They were a mystery to everyone, even the former royalty. The reason they were sealed off was unknown, but people accepted it blindly. Ever since Asriel was able to burrow inside as a flower, he had come to understand the ruins' little givings better. Most importantly, the rain was back.

Funny how little it moved him.

Perhaps that wasn't entirely true. He felt... something from it now. He wasn't sure what, it was different from the old calm from his childhood. Almost worrying...

But what was there to worry about?

Only by the splashing sound of his footsteps had Asriel realized that his feet were wet. He looked to the small stream of water that had snaked its way through the ruins by the bindings of the walls. It was slowly growing and began to take up a noticeable portion of the floor, appearing to flow in a very defined direction. Perhaps he and his companion would do well to follow it upstream, It could lead somewhere interesting.

Speaking of his companion, Napstablook hadn't said anything for a while now. Asriel had exchanged a few glances and nods for the intermittent fork in the road, but nothing else.

Perhaps that was his own fault, he had been a bit harsh in his defiance earlier. He too, was confused over the subject matter of his drawings, frustrated even. He simply couldn't explain why he only drew one person. There were plenty of other people he cared about, and plenty of non-people things to draw. Despite that, Frisk remained the only subject that came to thought during his amateur art sessions. Maybe because they were the only person he talked to in his real form since his death.

But that didn't mean he needed to yell.

"Hey... Uh, Napstablook?"

The ghost turned to face Asriel. "I-it might be a good Idea for you to head back..."

Asriel was shocked, not expecting his companion to be so vindictive. "Ah... I-I see..." Maybe he deserved it.

"...?"

He gave Napstablook a sad smile. "I'm sorry."

"Oh no... I-I didn't mean it like that. Umm, this place is flooding. You might... drown."

Asriel looked down to his feet again. The downpour above must've grown substantially because the once small stream now filled the corridor and the waterline reached his ankle. But could rainfall do this much?

This may explain the worried feeling he got earlier.

"...A-are you okay? You seem... out of it."

He couldn't escape to the surface, even if he wanted to. There was no way up, except to pass through the entire underground. It should be safe to just make it out of the ruins...

"I'm going to run to the exit!" Asriel said. The water had reached past his pant-line now. "Are you coming with?"

Napstablook seemed in tune with his plan, already keeping a steady pace beside the young monster. "...Let me know if I can help."

He knew exactly where to go, having walked this route many times. To the small house in the ruins.

* * *

Frisk had decided to continue walking past the house, parting ways with Sans and following a path leading to a public park. They needed some time to clear their head, the fresh air would help that. So they figured.

They took the luxury to look around. Trees had been losing their leaves and were now on last reserves. Crisped foliage broke underfoot with tree-fell twigs and sticks. It was getting cold, Frisk's breath was visible and the nearby lamps illuminated it all the more so. The streets had become almost barren, spare the occasional passing vehicle. The darkness had begun setting in earlier and earlier as the recent days passed, heralding eventual snowfall in weeks to come.

This was a good opportunity to think about what they were going to do in the upcoming week. Frisk had decided already that lying in bed on days like these was not helping anyone, and so they would have to take action. But what?

At first instinct—years ago, Frisk wanted to jump back down the hole they found on Mt. Ebbot, find Asriel, and... Well that's why it's called first instinct. Little thought was put into what they'd do after that. Besides, it wouldn't be Asriel anymore, would it? It would be Flowey. That was a revelation that had been gnawing at the youth for some time now. It seemed impossible to come to terms with, losing a friend that they never even had the chance to have.

Forcibly dragging Asriel out of the ruins wasn't the answer. But was Frisk looking for an answer?

Asking advice from their friends was slowly becoming less and less viable as they whittled down the candidates. The only ones left were too difficult to reach.

Maybe they would make way back to the underground regardless. Find Flowey and do something fun, perhaps a picnic. Could Flowey eat human food? Sunlight? ...Fertilizer?

Well, the underground was no longer a prison. It would be safe enough to traverse it with adequate preparation. They could leave whenever they wanted. The following week was a break from school anyway. There was time.

Frisk needed to gather supplies.

* * *

The basement which led to the exit was gone, now it was but a murky pool of water, slowly growing every minute. Asriel looked to Napstablook in horror. "What do I do?"

"...Can you swim?"

Asriel shook his head and whimpered. He knew how long the corridor to the exit was. It would take minutes to swim it, and he couldn't hold his breath for even half that long. Panicking, he looked every which way and began opening every door he came across in hopes of finding some form of salvation.

Napstablook, however, appeared calm. He began wandering the flooding house. Phasing through what he could in hopes of finding... something. He wasn't sure what.

CLUNK.

A thundering roar sounded out from the outside of the house. Eyes turned to the front door giving way to a rushing torrent of water, the resulting wave knocking Asriel off his feet and pushing him to the back end of the hallway.

He was slammed against the wall, coughing up what water he could before demanding another breath. The assaulting deluge wasn't letting up. All he could do was flail to stay above the slowly disappearing surface.

Managing to grab hold of a fixture secured to the ceiling, he took one last gulp of air before fully submerging. He cautiously opened his eyes. Perhaps swimming was the only option he had left, there wasn't much time to think about it.

He noticed Napstablook was floating nearby, unaffected by the torrent and staring at something behind the young monster. But the only thing that was behind him was...

Asriel turned around to see an enormous crack adorning the wall. There was light coming from behind... A way out?

He didn't have a choice. He gripped the fixture firmly, raised his legs, and kicked with all the force he could muster.

Thud.

But it didn't give at all.

He pulled his legs back even further, and kicked again.

Thud.

Not an inch. This effort was making him use up that last breath of air all the quicker.

He tried again, all or nothing.

THUD.

Nothing.

Asriel would have been crying if his eyes weren't already filled with water. But still, he kept kicking until he could kick no more. He didn't even notice that Napstablook had left the hallway.

Click.

That was all Asriel heard before blacking out.

* * *

Toriel was keeping a diligent eye out of the living room window as her company talked amongst themselves. Sans had told her of Frisk's decision to take a late walk, and she couldn't help but worry.

"—And that's how I finally learned to crack an egg!" said Papyrus.

"With a hammer?" Sans questioned.

"It's not as hard as you would think." Undyne smiled.

"I think that's the problem."

"Toriel, how did you learn to crack eggs?"

"Hm? Oh yes. Of course." Her eyes didn't leave the window. "Of course..."

The brothers and Undyne shared unsure glances between themselves.

"Uh, hey Tori?" Sans waved his hand in front of Toriel's face.

"Hm? What is it, Sans?"

"...Are you worried about Frisk?

At the mention of the human's name, Toriel managed to tear her eyes away from away from the window. "Hm?"

Sans sighed. "They'll be fine. They're just taking a walk."

"But—"

"But nothing. Relax. Frisk will be back before you know it."

Sans was right, she reckoned. Worrying wouldn't do much good when there was nothing she could do about it. Perhaps joining in whatever conversation her company was having would make the minutes pass by quicker.

"Very well. What are we talking about?"

"Eggs!" said Papyrus.

"..." Toriel returned her gaze the window. Perhaps not.

* * *

Asriel opened his eyes to darkness, relieved to feel anything at all from his tired limbs. The hard stony ground was damp and he could hear every breath and subtle movement he made echo far into the distance. All else was quiet.

"A-are you okay?" a familiar voice asked.

A dim light had appeared, barely illuminating any of the cavern the young monster now found himself in. He looked to where the voice came from.

"Napstablook?"

"Y-yes?"

"Where are—grrch!" Asriel gripped the back of his head. It hurt something fierce, he must have hit it at some point during his senseless misadventure.

"C-careful... moving around might not be a good idea."

"Where are we?"

Napstablook was quiet. He looked off in the darkest direction, seeming reluctant.

"...Follow me."

Asriel followed. The pair walked into a narrow tunnel, relying on Napstablook's subtle luminescence. As they did, the young monster began questioning a few things.

"How did I survive?"

"...The flooding? Well... there was a lever behind the door... I p—"

"Door?" Asriel didn't remember any doors during the struggle.

"Ah... Yes. The door, the one you tried to break down..."

"...?"

"...The one with the crack."

"That was a door?"

If Napstablook had shoulders, he would have shrugged them. "I guess...?"

"...Why would she have a hidden door in the house? Did she even know about it?" Asriel thought aloud. He looked ahead, there was another light appearing around a bend. An exit?

"...We are getting close."

"Y-yea? Close to what?"

The pair passed through an unexpectedly intricate archway to be greeted by the sight of a massive bowl-shaped cavern. So massive, in fact, that Asriel could barely even see to the other side. The murky atmosphere dulled it out.

What could be seen, however, were the hundreds of enormous structures jetting up from the earthen floor. Buildings maybe? Asriel had never seen buildings of such massive scale in all of his life. He'd never even heard of such a thing.

The taller buildings congregated toward the center of the cavern, towering over the rest in an ominous claim of importance. And the largest of them all sat well above even those. A series of arches connected to and surrounded that structure, creating a dome-like shape. A brilliant orb of light could be seen resting atop the dome, illuminating the rest of the cavern in an eerie green effulgence.

And it was quiet.


	5. The Mountain's Secret

CORRELICTUM

The Mountain's Secret

A whispering cold seeped its way through every opening it could find in the oversized jacket Frisk wore, desperate to dissipate what warmth was left within. Red-nosed and regretful for not bringing better protection than the thin cotton gloves they wore, they continued making long strides towards the old hardware store on the corner.

It was a small store that came under new management just under a year ago. A monster from the snowy underground region of Snowdin had taken the role, bringing in a large crowd of monsters seeking a familiar atmosphere.

But that wasn't the reason they valued the shop now. It was the comfortable chatter and warmth that greeted anyone and everyone coming in from the biting cold. Frisk noticed familiar faces in the crowd, and those who caught their eye gave a friendly wave or nod in greeting, which was returned in kind.

"Frisk? Is that you?"

Frisk turned to meet the familiar fuzzy figure belonging to the former king of the underground. He was wearing a pale tan shirt with an image of a whale on it and over that was a thin woolen coat many times too small for him, evidenced by the small tears in the seams. Frisk had to bend their neck back to meet his eyes.

"What are you doing here so late?" Asgore was smiling, yet he looked around anxiously. "Er... Tori's not with you is she?

Frisk smiled. "Hey, it's been awhile... and uh, she's at home."

The former king gave a sigh of relief. Frisk couldn't help but think this hulking boss-monster was silly for his trepidation. It's not as if Toriel would attack him if she was here.

"Are you here by yourself?" Asgore asked.

"Just out for a walk."

"It's a bit cold for that." He laughed.

"Heh. You're tellin' me..."

"..."

"Nice shirt... Are you a fan of—"

"Ah! This? It's such an interesting little design, isn't it? I found it at the store last week. It looks a bit like Levi, doesn't it?"

"...Hm?"

"...you didn't meet Levi...?"

Frisk scrunched their face in thought.

"They lived in Waterfall..."

"...I don't think I met them."

"Really? I could have sworn..." Asgore trailed off.

Frisk shrugged.

"Oh well..." Asgore scratched his head. "Anyway, you must have a reason for coming here, yes?"

"Yea, I'm going camping. I need to get some... stuff. I actually don't know what yet."

Asgore seemed amused. "You certainly have grown impulsive..."

Frisk wasn't sure what to say about that. They've always felt impulsive.

"Since you're out, would you like to join me for a cup of tea? It has been a while since we last talked."

That sounded nice actually, a warm drink would do some good.

* * *

"Where... are we?"

Asriel gathered what he could from his jumbled senses to make sense of his surroundings. A difficult task. His head was spinning and it was difficult to breathe the musty air. Walking was becoming more of a challenge so he buckled at the knees, holding his head.

"...Are you alright?" Napstablook asked.

"Grh, it depends... Are you seeing all this?"

The ghost nodded slowly.

"I think I'm fine then..." Asriel's head was throbbing, steadily increasing in its cruel tempo. "Ugh... Never-mind, I think I might be sick..."

"Um... Wait here, I-I'll go see if there's anything nearby that could help..."

Before Asriel could question what Napstablook could possibly find 'nearby', the ghost disappeared.

"Great..." Now he was alone.

For now, he figured it would be best if he found a place to rest. All of the nearby buildings—so assumed—appeared locked or without entrance. Just leaning against one of the many alleyway walls would do.

Squish.

Asriel sighed. He had forgotten that his clothes were still soaked from the flood. That probably wouldn't help him recover. How long was he out for anyway? Certainly not long enough for them to dry. He would have to ask Napstablook when he came back.

Whatever. The stone tiles were surprisingly comfortable and his vision was beginning to blur. Maybe a nap would do some good. He nestled further into the nook of the wall, wet clothes be damned, and looked up.

Once again, Asriel was dizzied to the vastness of his surroundings. The larger of structures were looming far over the walls that surrounded him and the musty air blurred anything beyond. That would make them... something big, he supposed. Asriel was too tired to think clearly anymore. To see.

He barely caught glimpse of a warm flicker of light come from one of the numerous alcoves adorning the cavern's most nearby surface before his eyelids fell.

* * *

Frisk didn't realize how much time had passed since the conversation with Asgore began. Only by the ringing of their phone did the fact occur to them. It was well passed nine, and they had received many unnoticed texts from Toriel in the last hour.

Asgore pushed as many worried apologies to Frisk as he could, despite the lack of blame or fault the youth placed on him. They found that humorously typical of the monster. Maybe it would have been a frustration in another life. It took many forgivinesses to get him to calm down.

"It's fine, I'm the one who forgot."

"But still..."

"Thanks for the advice, I'll be sure to talk to you later." Frisk got up from the small table and made way to the exit.

"Mmhm, please do." Asgore waved goodbye.

His farewell was met with the jingle of a bell and a cold rush of wind from the open door.

Frisk was hit hard by how dark it was outside and how much colder it had gotten. The streetlights seemed blinding after a minute of walking. They didn't manage to find any supplies at the store. Although the advice Asgore gave would make up for that they supposed.

It was an odd thing talking with the king. His slow and somber way of speaking made it difficult to view the monster as any level of authority. Despite that, Frisk felt that Asgore always knew a little more than he let on, and was very cautious when talking to others to maintain that image. He seemed calculating. Thoughtful. Whenever he spoke up, they would listen intently. Just to see if there was something hidden in his words.

As it was, not five minutes ago.

Frisk told Asgore what they had told Sans. That there was still someone left behind, and that they were unsure of what to do about it.

 _"Then why don't you save them?"_

It was... a very different answer from what Sans gave. It was direct, given almost as reflexively as breathing, as if he didn't even have to think about it. He didn't even look up from his cup of tea. Of course they wanted to 'save them', but...

 _"...you don't think you have enough information to decide, do you?"_

Almost as if he had read their mind. Asgore's tone felt rehearsed and Frisk couldn't help but put to memory every word he said.

 _"Frisk, listen. Sometimes you must make a decision without knowing all of the details. I've... had my fair share, and sometimes those decisions lead to consequences I wasn't prepared to face... But even a poor decision is better than no decision at all."_

 _..._

 _"Just look at what you already know. What do you think might happen If you put off making this decision?"_

 _..._

 _"Does it really matter who it is? So long as you want to save them?"_

Frisk had already decided to find Asriel, but hadn't anything past that. There were a million possibilities and it would be impossible to anticipate all of them. Likely, there was no information that would simply appear without digging around. They had spent enough time brooding and pondering.

It was time to act.

* * *

Dry fabric.

It seemed wrong considering the day's events. Asriel woke to a droning buzz and the comforting warmth of an oversized blanket. Looking around, he found that he was no longer in that strange cavern he fell asleep in. Instead of the hard stone floor, he was resting on a lightly padded table. Rather than the open yet humid expanse, his surroundings were that of a small chamber with walls filled with strange handheld tools and equipment. How did he get here? Did Napstablook carry him? Could the ghost carry anything at all?

"Wait, then how did he pull that lever?"

Again, he was bereft of answers. And the questions were accumulating quickly.

At least he was rested. He had a rather nasty bump on the back of his head last time he checked. But now all that he felt was an itchy bandage wrapped tightly over the wound. Asriel questioned the need for a bandage for such a thing, but he was no expert. He left it.

There was a dim light coming from the wall across the room. It was small and pulsing. Asriel got up and off the table to have a better look.

As soon as he did, the room lit with an intense brightness that caused him to recoil. The 'wall' began displaying numerous lines of words in quick succession, many of which Asriel didn't understand. Jargon, but there were a few terms he was familiar with. Specimen, trauma, abrasion, laceration, anomaly, unconscious, among others. Was this treating him? Who controlled it?

Asriel made way to stand in front of the monitor. It had halted its creation of words. Only the gentle blinking of the typing reticule gave movement to the otherwise still screen. He read the last few lines in hopes he could make out what they meant.

 _..._

 _process {diognostic[12]} 100% completed_

 _result:[concious]; please wait for standby_

 _12%_

 _39%_

 _89%_

 _100%_

 _standby_

 _request:processstart communication[0] 0% completed_

 _waiting for confirmation_

"Communication?" He thought aloud.

"Greetings, Anomaly." A robotic voice buzzed harshly. Asriel jumped back.

"Uh..." Was he supposed to talk to it? He read more of the lines that appeared.

 _..._

 _CONFIRM Y/N_

 _Y_

 _processstart {communication[0]} 0% completed_

 _process {communication[0]} 1% completed;subprocess {greet}_

 _waiting for response..._

 _response not recognized_

"Um... Hello?"

"Greetings, Anomaly."

"...Am I an anomaly?"

"Correct. How are your wounds?"

"Wounds? Um, better I think... Where am I?"

"Your current location is Medical Ground seven. Fourth floor."

That didn't help. "How did I get here? Who brought me here?"

"You were carried."

Asriel waited for the voice to continue, but it remained silent. Maybe it could only handle one question at a time.

"Who carried me here?"

"Communication successful. Recording saved and backed up to database three. Terminating SEI voicecom."

"No, wait!"

But it wouldn't respond. Asriel punched the table in frustration. He was hoping to finally get some answers out of this. How much longer would he be kept in the dark?

"What the hell is happening..."

In all the hassle, he failed to notice the dark cloaked figure standing in the doorway.

* * *

Looking back fifteen minutes ago, Frisk felt that persuading Toriel to let them go camping would be more difficult than it was, at least they expected more than one refusal. Her expression was a mixed one of clear worry and something indecipherable. She even made provisions for them to take with, handing them over with limp arms in a supposed attempt of conveying approval.

That made it harder to leave.

 _"Good luck."_

Luck? There wasn't a goal in camping, what luck would they need? A 'have fun' or a 'be safe' would do better for this type of thing. Did Sans tell her about the conversation at the music store? Did she know that Frisk was heading underground?

It was already decided though, too late to second guess.

Frisk saw the entrance to the forest coming up. Just on time, it was barely past nine in the morning. That should give plenty of time for them to set up a camp and attempt their first expedition. They brought a rope ladder and a hammock tent so they could climb back out and sleep in familiar air. If it went that long.

It was a beautiful day, despite the rain. Sunlight was speckled throughout the forest's floor, broken by the trees without all their leaves and the wind that moved them. The occasional squirrel could be seen scampering away, acorn in claw and the last of the birds were flying south above, cawing occasionally. The cold was gone for now and the weather was supposed to stay reasonable for the next few weeks. Perfect.

But as they made way through the woods and found the campsite they had in mind, they found it occupied by a small pitched tent, a portable grill, and a tooth-baring skeleton roasting sausages.

Sans was there.

"Hey, kid. Ready for a fun week of camping?"

* * *

AUTHORS NOTE:

Hey everyone! Merry Chrismihauniquanzaka, or whatever it is you may celebrate.

Apologies for the late upload. Both finals and the many Christmases of my extensive family tree gave birth to a hectic schedule. I meant to post this in the morning, but I was dragged out of town before I remembered.

So as I said before, I went back and made some small corrections to the old chapters. Changing the numbering system to better work with the website, fixing some rough areas in my writing (I can almost guarantee that I missed something. Let me know if you notice anything worth fixing, even if it's petty grammar or spelling), and deleting the blurb at the end of last chapter.

On that note, same thing goes with this one. It will be deleted with the next upload.

By the by, how's the pacing in this?


End file.
